Rhino populations in the Kruger National Park have plummeted to an estimated 3,529 white and 268 black rhinos – due to poaching & drought
Category Archives: Natural history
MAKULEKE
Between two rivers and three countries, Makuleke Contractual Park in northern Kruger is a spectacular biodiversity and historical hotspot
Of ivory, elephants, shipwrecks and slaughter
Ivory recovered from 500-year-old shipwreck reveals details of the ivory trade and how it has devastated forest elephant populations.
Cape Parrot
This is Africa’s rarest parrot. The Cape parrot is found only in small fragmented patches of the remaining mistbelt forests in South Africa
Spotting elephants from space
Artificial intelligence and satellite images can help conservationists count elephants from space, says new research.
Madikwe Game Reserve
Madikwe Game Reserve is a malaria-free safari haven and conservation success story that benefits people, wildlife and the ecosystem
Dwarf giraffe seen in Namibia and Uganda
Researchers have recently published a paper describing two dwarf giraffe in separate populations in Namibia and Uganda
Stories in the night sky
For centuries, African myths and legends have been recorded in the positions of the celestial bodies in the night sky. Starry starry night
Operation Twiga V
15 ‘Critically Endangered’ Nubian giraffes translocated from Murchison Falls to Pian Upe in Uganda – part of ongoing giraffe range expansion
The extinction business – South Africa’s cold-blooded reptile trade
South Africa’s amphibian & reptile trade is a growing industry that is unregulated, unsustainable, and unethical – says report
Arch-enemies? New research on lions vs hyenas
Lions vs hyenas is the ultimate African drama. New research has shed light on the dynamics between these two apex predators
RHINO
Africa’s 2 rhino species are the most numerous of the world’s 5 species. Here is everything you need to know about black and white rhinos
Female banded mongooses incite violence for better mating opportunities
Female banded mongooses lead their groups into deliberate conflict with rival groups to increase their chances of mating – research
The Edge of Existence and human-wildlife conflict – we interview James Suter
The Edge of Existence tells the story of human-wildlife conflict on the western boundary of Tanzania’s Serengeti. We interview the filmmaker
HWANGE
Zimbabwe’s oldest and largest national park, Hwange is a safari paradise that hosts large populations of elephants, lions and wild dogs
Confiscated parrots fly free again over DR Congo forests
39 poached & confiscated African grey parrots released in eastern DR Congo after being rehabilitated at Lwiro Primate Rehabilitation Centre
Forest elephants going hungry as climate change stops trees from fruiting
Forest elephants are losing body condition – most probably due to climate impacts on forest tree fruit production – say researchers
Chacma Baboon
The baboon is one of the largest monkeys in the world, with human-like cunning and 4cm canines that rival those of leopards
Riff Raff the ‘problem-causing’ elephant shot and killed
The ‘problem-causing’ elephant known as Riff Raff has been shot and killed by provincial authorities in South Africa
Captive-bred lion hunting not acceptable – say Dallas Safari Club & CIC
Captive-bred lion hunting “not representative of responsible, sustainable, fair chase hunting … damaging the reputation of hunters” …
Lemurs of Madagascar
The lemurs of Madagascar are a fascinating family of primates of all shapes & sizes that have evolved to fill every niche on the island
“Lost” species of chameleon found in hotel gardens
A ‘lost’ species of chameleoln – Voeltzkow’s chameleon – has been found in a hotel garden in Madagascar after it had been assumed extinct
COVID-19 ‘perfect storm’ threatens conservation in Africa
A new report examines just how bad COVID-19 is for Africa’s wildlife and protected areas and what needs to be done to save our wild spaces
Africa’s Wild Dogs – A Survival Story
Africa’s Wild Dogs – A Survival Story is a photographic book celebrating these charismatic predators and telling their story
Saving rodents, losing primates – we need tailored strategies to manage bushmeat trade
Viewing all bushmeat trade through one lens over-simplifies the complex situation and could lead to accelerated disappearance of some species
Strawberry leopard – a first for Gauteng
Photos: The ‘strawberry leopard’ is a genetic rarity that seldom occurs, and is almost never seen. Well, one has now been seen in South Africa
HERE BE DRAGONS – The Nile crocodile
The Nile crocodile has evolved over millennia to be a cunning, patient and ferocious predator that is capable of taking down large prey
Cycads: Are you living next door to a poacher?
The most endangered living organisms in the world today are not rhinos, elephants, or even pangolins – they are plants called cycads
Trophy hunting – how do African people feel?
Trophy hunting: How do African people perceive and react to trophy hunting compared to those from the Western public – research
The Power of Unity – Cheetah coalition in Maasai Mara
This is the story of a cheetah coalition of five males – the Tano Bora coalition, meaning ‘The Magnificent Five’ – in Kenya’s Maasai Mara
POACHERS – the people behind the statistics – a reality check
POACHERS – who are they and what motivates them? TRAFFIC investigates the driving factors of poaching activities and suggests solutions
Bee wise
On the south-western tip of Africa, a bee conservation group has spent the last seven years discovering the wisdom of our wild honeybees
Tembe elephant bull relocated to community-owned reserve
A large young elephant bull has been relocated from Teme Elephant Park to Somkhanda Community Game Reserve in KwaZulu Natal
Lion farming – Lord Ashcroft submission to South African High Level Panel
Lion farming presentation by Lord Ashcroft to the High-Level Panel looking at the management of lions and other species in South Africa
Kruger waterhole problems
Kruger waterhole problems are being reported, and it is not clear which waterholes are closed as per the Kruger ecosystem management plan
Human-lion conflict in a key lion population area
Human-lion conflict is a major issue for the conservation of wild lions – we look at the successful Kwando Carnivore Project in KAZA
How much water should lodges be using?
How much water should safari lodges be using? The lowering of groundwater levels could compromise the ecosystem and wildlife.
Selous be dam(n)ed
Selous is facing changes – from increased conservation status to a huge hydro-electric dam being built on the pristine Rufiji River
Africa’s Wild Dogs – A Survival Story
Africa’s Wild Dogs – A Survival Story is a photographic book celebrating these charismatic predators and telling their story
Elephants & cattle – restoring soil nutrient levels
Research shows that elephants can assist farmers by restoring soil nutrient levels when cattle have depleted those nutrients
Donkey smugglers profit off wildlife trafficking routes
Cross-border donkey smugglers in Zimbabwe and Botswana are operating pipelines used for ivory, pangolins and Covid-19 contraband
Cyanobacteria to blame for elephant deaths – Botswana officials
Elephant deaths: The sudden deaths of over 300 elephants in Botswana were caused by cyanotoxins produced by blue-green algae, say officials
Swimming blind – why critically endangered blind cave catfish needs research
The blind cave catfish, only found in a cave in Namibia, lives in total darkness. It is one of the rarest freshwater fish species in the world
FOSSA: 5 fascinating facts
The fossa of Madagascar has the predatory skills of mongooses and civets – acrobatic and lightning-fast – and the strength of a cat
The importance of adult male elephants
The selective harvesting of old bull elephants damages broader elephant society because of the important role played by the bulls – research
Why are elephants dying in Zimbabwe and Botswana?
Elephants dying: Professor Keith Somerville investigates the mysterious deaths of more than 300 elephants in Zimbabwe and Botswana
Wild dogs facing increased persecution in Eastern Namibia
Wild dogs face increased persecution, as evidenced by this puppy carcass found on a road – likely the victim of an intentional killing
Trophy hunting quotas for South Africa in 2020: leopards, elephants and lion bone exports
Trophy hunting quotas for South Africa in 2020: leopards, elephants and lion bone exports – announcements by Minister Barbara Creecy
“Lost” species of elephant shrew alive and well
Researchers have rediscovered the Somali Sengi (an elephant shrew) – which was thought to be extinct and was last seen nearly 50 years ago
Domestic cat predation on wild animals in Cape Town
The domestic cat is a honed killing machine whose impact on biodiversity in South Africa is only now being fully revealed
